Hagel's comments today at the National Security Agency headquarters in suburban Washington come as he prepares to visit China next week, where officials are likely to challenge him amid reports of aggressive US cyber spying.
The Pentagon has been recruiting outside talent for cybersecurity jobs as well as encouraging people already in the military to train for them and will have some 1,800 professionals by year's end. Hagel says that will grow to 6,000 in 2016.